A delightful mishmash of waffle about my exciting life, bizarre opinions on the great philosophical matters of our day, and plenty of Zionist ranting for good measure.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Throwing the switch

Goebbels, Alistair Campbell and Al "ManBearPig" Gore could not have spun this any better. For such a deprived group, Hamas seem remarkably well informed, educated and equipped when it comes to manipulating the media (albeit they are quite willing to comply, perhaps even chipping in with the odd suggested still shot or extra-poignant camera angle).

Firstly, they persuaded the world (including Freedmansmum, for crying out loud) that Israel had really turned off all their power, when in fact 75% of it was still on, and they were supposed to have kept reserve fuel stocks to run their local generator

Secondly, they added to this a treacly layer of fantasy about how Gaza was just an open prison controlled by Israel, even quoting the ubiquitous Geneva Convention to try and give it some legal justification. Just so we're clear, Article 6 of the Fourth Geneva Convention explicitly states that "the Occupying Power shall be bound for the duration of the occupation to the extent that such Power exercises the functions of government in such territory...." If no Israeli military government is exercising its authority or any of "the functions of government" in the Gaza Strip, then there is no occupation.

Having pointed that out, it's quite clear that on the other hand, Hamas is also not exercising its authority or functions of government (as we might define it in even the most remotely-civilized country), except for its attempts to keep to its main policy, on which it was elected: "neither the liberation of the Gaza Strip, nor the liberation of the West Bank or even Jerusalem will suffice for us. Hamas will pursue the armed struggle until the liberation of all our lands. We don't recognize the State of Israel or its right to hold onto one inch of Palestine," (that's the recently-bereaved Mahmoud Al-Zahar, quoted by the charming Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, based right here in Londonistan).

Anyway, the world gobbled all this up (one notable exception here), whilst Mubarak over in Cairo pressured everyone and their uncle to help his "brethren" - the same brethren Egypt have systematically persecuted, ignored, bullied, starved and OCCUPIED for various parts of the last 60 years. At the same time, Egypt stood by and allowed their border with Hamastan to become completely porous, only for all parties to perpetuate the myth of Gaza being an "open-air prison". At best, with tunnels under one of its four walls, and now a huge chunk of wall flattened, it might be described as an open prison, to and from which tens of thousands of people can stroll as they please.

So guess what? Hamas get to have their cake AND eat it, at home and abroad. To their own people, they are the resourceful heroes who defeated the "Israeli siege", whilst to the mugs of the UN, EU and BBC, they continue the lie that Israel is on a genocidal course to starve and deprive Gaza out of existence. And of course, it's just humanitarian supplies coming over the border. No rockets, no guns, no dynamite. After all, Hamas is a welfare organisation, right?

Enough is enough.

They have cried wolf so many times and the world has chosen to believe them. Now it's time for Israel to really throw the switches and lock down the three sides of the border they DO control. That means the wonderful Egyptians and all the Palestinians' "friends" can step up to the plate.

So good luck, world! I'm sure many of you will be on the next flight out (via Egypt please) to grasp the chance to help the plight of your favourite underdog with both hands, and will be justly rewarded.

Here's a list of some of the things you, dear world, are going to have to pick up responsibility for. I hope the Palestinians treat you with the same contempt as they have us for providing these resources:

3. Medical treatmentThose who require care have been allowed across the border to hospitals in Beersheva and elsewhere. This is the thanks they get.

4. Food and other basic goodsThis arrives in bulk, in the form of "humanitarian aid", like this "sugar" - wouldn't it be a shame if the Hamas boys stirred it into their tea? - or this "fertilizer". If you don't check what goes into the Strip, you are responsible for the consequences, and if you do, it's not only part of the "evil occupation and siege", but this, this, this or this might happen to you.